Philip Yuk Yu MA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Janet RENO, Attorney General of the United States, Defendant-Appellant

TROTT, Circuit Judge.

Overview

Philip Yuk Yu Ma was adopted as a child in Hong Kong, immigrated to the United States, and is now a United States citizen. Ma petitioned the Immigration and Naturalization Service (“INS”) for preferential visa status on behalf of his natural brother, a resident of Hong Kong. The INS initially granted the petition, but subsequently revoked it after concluding that Ma’s adoption had severed his legal relationship to his biological brother. Ma appealed the revocation of the visa petition to the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”). Without waiting for a final…